Area: about 400m south of Kokusai Center station 国際センター駅
Restaurant: Pancake Mahalo Cafe マハロ カフェ
Website and Info: http://www.pancake-cafe.jp/shop_meiekihirokouji.html
Hours: Lunch 11am-2pm, Teatime 2-6pm, Dinner 6-11pm (Fri and Sat until 12am)
Why pancakes are such a boom in Japan is kind of a mystery to me. I think it might have to do with the fact that they associate pancakes with Hawaii, and the Japanese are obsessed with travel to Hawaii and all things Hawaiian.
There was a line up on this weekend day, and with their Hawaiian hospitality, served free orange juice to the waiting. Upon being shown to my seat, a cup of refreshing lemon water was brought to the table. This restaurant prides itself on their use of buttermilk in the batter. During lunch hours, the pancakes come with an unlimited drink bar. There were 4 pancakes to choose from, both sweet (vanilla ice cream, mango coconut cream) and savory (taco style, prosciutto and arugula). I went for the latter, salad pancake (\1180). The pancakes here have a nice flavor to them, which was unfortunately lost when eaten with the salty prosciutto and spicy arugula. I did find that they matched the ricotta cheese on top however. The tomatoes were nicely marinated in olive oil making them rather juicy. The balsamic sauce, well, it's always a good match with arugula and prosciutto. The pancake itself is more on the dense, sticky side. But having said this, I think buttermilk is supposed to make it fluffier. Whatever it does, I did enjoy the texture of this pancake more than some other pancakes I've eaten in the area.
The American music that seems fitting for a Hawaiian cafe, and the indoor greenery (palm tree-like plants) certainly gave a Hawaiian feel.
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